1. Technical Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of livestock feed compositions and the field of consumer food products.
2. Introduction
Consumer's health concerns related to the nutritional content of meat and egg products have forced the livestock industry to examine more ways to modify those products. One modification technique control the dietary supplements in livestock feed. By employing the methods and feed compositions of this invention, the livestock industry can enhance the nutritional characteristics of meat and egg products destined for the consumer. Specifically, in certain embodiments, the invention involves food products simultaneously enriched with the essential omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid (18:2n-6), the essential omega-3 fatty acid, linolenic acid (18:3n-3), and the metabolic derivative of linolenic acid, docosahexanoic acid (22:6n-3). For example, we described feed compositions and livestock feeding methods comprising whole flaxseed in combination with grit to promote in vivo release of essential fats from the flaxseed. The invention also involves livestock diets designed to result in food products containing supplementary levels of vitamin E and/or other natural antioxidants as well as natural pigments. Surprisingly, eggs from hens fed a diet of this invention maintain good egg production and the eggs compared favorably with typical eggs in blind taste tests even though they contain significant differences in essential fatty acids and vitamin E.